BANGKOK, 28 June 2013 Foreign Minister Surapong Torvichakchaikul has said he believed a report claiming that the US Food and Drug Administration had quarantined Thai rice imports for chemical residue inspection is just fabricated. The Foreign Minister said he has not so far received any report from the United States mentioning such a case.
The rumour follows on-going reports this week that rice in the government’s pledging scheme, stocked in barns across Thailand, contains an excessive level of chemicals required to keep the rice clean.
Mr. Surapong said the rumor might have been started by a group of ill-intentioned people, and that the Commerce Ministry will investigate the case and made clarifications to the public.
